Theme: Abolition of Slavery

Editorial

This edition of the Race Equality Newsletter arrives with Black History Month (October) just gone and heralds the arrival of the Bicentennial of the 1807 Abolition of Slavery Act. It takes African-Caribbean issues as its theme.

Gloucestershire will be celebrating the Bicentennial with a series of events around the county beginning on 19 March with an exhibition at the Gloucester City Museum, which will include activities and story-telling around slavery. The programme in Gloucestershire is called Set All Free and aims to remember the past, apply its lessons to the present and raise awareness about those caught in slavery today. The programme of events will finish at the close of Black History Month October 2007. Set All Free is being led by the Rev. Canon Adrian Slade, who is Director of Social Responsibility at the Diocese of Gloucester. Adrian can be contacted by email: glossr@glossr.star.co.uk The programme is currently in its final draft, so look out for it coming your way soon.

Reflecting the theme, our centre page pull-out is a map of the slave trade and signposting towards resources and activities. Our lead article for this edition focuses on the history of abolition and highlights the courageous individuals who worked tirelessly for abolition.

But sadly slavery is not a dead issue. It still affects the lives of many - those whose ancestors were still enslaved only a century and a half ago and those who are enslaved today.

A slave is:

  • A person who is forced to work through mental or physical threat.
  • Owned or controlled by another, usually through mental, physical abuse or emotional abuse.
  • De-humanised person, treated as a commodity or bought or sold as 'property'.
  • Physically constrained or has restrictions placed on their freedom of movement.

This includes:

  • Bonded labour: people who receive basic food and shelter as 'payment' for their work, but may never pay off the loan.
  • Trafficking of people who are forced to work against their will, this work is often prostitution.
  • Child labour where children are forced to work in an environment that is harmful to health or welfare.
  • Early enforced marriage which affects people who are married without choice and are forced into lives of servitude.

Elsewhere in this edition you will find a profile of Bernard Westcarr, author and elder statesman within the local Black community, reports of activities in schools, reviews and of course the latest news from the Ethnic Minority and Traveller teams.

We welcome feedback to this newsletter. We want it to be useful and stimulating. We would also like more short articles from schools so we can share the good things that are happening to celebrate diversity and encourage respect for all.

Giles Diggle

Race Equality Adviser

Head of Race Equality and Diversity Service


Back to Contents

Go to:  

Home | Contact | Mosaic | Links